Sponsor

We recommend

Templates

This is a form I came up with to help me organize the hazy images of scenes that roll around in my brain. This is also good for those of us with overworked memories who mourn the scenes we've forgotten. No mourning necessary if you have them written down already!

I've already used this a time or two, and it has accomplished for me what I wanted it to. It gave me a very clear picture of a scene I had been thinking about for several days, and now I know exactly how to use it in the story.

Paper size:

Letter

Thumbnail:

Usage advice:

I used Word tables. The font is very basic, but if you have Word, of course you can change it. This is a very straightforward design, but as most of you probably know, Word tables can be temperamental. Any wobbles will be easily fixable, though.

I have also included a PDF version. I've got them on mirror margins so it's like a 2-up layout.

I don't know if I've described it before on this site, but one of the things I do to keep on track with my novels is to create organizational manuscripts of them once I get to a certain point. I do this because I am extremely scatterbrained and need to have some sort of guide along the way. In these organizational manuscripts, I include:

- Parts already written;
- Oodles of notes (culture, literary, characters, food, etc.);
- Character sketches for main characters;
- Character summaries for minor/supporting characters;
- Summaries of the settings/places important to the story;
- Maps of places in the story (some actual places, and some imagined - I use Open Office Draw for my fictitious maps;
- A summary of the story and a summary of intent/theme;
- An outline;
- Writing exercises and style notes for problem areas;and
- What I call ponder sheets. These are the most important for me. I ask myself questions about scenes I haven't written and leave space for writing ideas.

I've had a couple of writers say that this sounded too constricting for them. It's true that some writers will find it constricting, but I always leave myself plenty of wiggle room. An organizational manuscript I've been using for a while will be filled with smaller sheets of notes stapled into the booklet, exed out anything and everything. So no, I don't find it constricting.

In any case, this is a form I created to help me get started on new organizational manuscripts. I wanted something that would allow for everything to be on one page, so I made it a legal-sized fold-out.

Paper size:

Other

Thumbnail:

Usage advice:

This is 8.5x14 legal paper printed in landscape orientation to create a fold-out. I'm not entirely happy with how this turned out, so I may tweak it some later on when I use up all of these that I've printed out. I'd like to make it a little bigger. Maybe two letter pages taped together or something.

One recommendation is that you definitely need to use heavier stock. All I could find was 20lb paper in legal size, but I probably didn't look very hard.

There are two sides to this. There's the inside of the fold out and the front flap. Mine is laid out kind of odd on the front flap because of the way my printer is oriented, so you may have to do some moving around of the table.

This one is closely related to the Problem Scene template I'll post next, but they differ in one respect. Scene Solvent is for the scene that just won't go down on paper for you.

This happens to me all the time in my writing. I'll be trucking along and writing away until I get to one tiny little scene. Usually it's a transitional scene that is supposed to bring me from one important event to another.

I'm having a horrible time with two of my novels for just this reason. I've come to a standstill. I won't call it writer's block because I know what comes later; I just don't know how to get there. I created this template in an attempt to resolve these problems.

Paper size:

Letter

Thumbnail:

Usage advice:

Again, this is using Word Tables because I'm pretty good at manipulating them. It also is formatted with mirror margins, so it gives you plenty of binding space.

I figured the best way to create this form was to ask myself questions. I've found that I get further in my writing by doing this and writing down both the question and the answer.

This one is related to the Scene Solvent template, but focuses on a scene you've already written, but aren't happy with. When I'm editing, I sometimes find it difficult to edit large blocks of text between lines and in margins, so I end up just rewriting them (especially if they're just really far gone). I put this template together to make sure I get it right in the rewrite.

Again, this comes from knowing how your own mind works. If I tried to fix a scene just in my head and by marking through and rewriting sections of it instead of the whole thing, God knows what would come out of it. This keeps my thoughts organized.

Paper size:

Classic (5.5 x 8.5)

Thumbnail:

Usage advice:

This is in classic size using text boxes instead of tables. I'm not entirely happy with this one either and I'll probably change it to letter size with tables when I use up the ones I've already printed. Of course I'll edit this post with version 2.0 when it's done.

The text boxes gave me all kinds of trouble, so those of you using the Word template may have to tweak a few things.

And again, I asked myself questions about the scene giving me problems and left space for ideas on how to improve it.

Month- or year-at-a-glance with days of the week following a sinusoidal curve. March-December 2010 on 12" square scrapbook-sized paper.
Created these pages to track baby milestones for a scrapbook but thought others might be interested in the "wavy weeks" (inspired by W. Bradford Paley's 2007 planner: http://wbpaley.com/brad/index.htm).

Paper size:

Other

Thumbnail:

Usage advice:

You can generate your own "wavy weeks" string using the linked Google spreadsheet (just change the dates in the first worksheet). Or make your own spreadsheet with dates in the first column and fill the second column with this formula: =CONCATENATE(REPT(" ",(3-ABS(WEEKDAY(A1)-4))*2),(DAY(A1)))

Daily calendar pages for April, May and June 2010 with columns for "Priority To Do" and "Want to Do," as well as an "Appointments" column with times (my day starts at 4:45am so the first time row is 4am). There is a small area to write in Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, and a "Notes for Today" area to put things like "Hubby out of town" or "Jane's Birthday."

I’ve added some more spiritually-oriented quotes as they have personal meaning for me. But if you find that the quotes are inappropriate or don’t fit your personal belief system, then definitely download the original .odg files and put quotes in that you find more appropriate or personally meaningful.

Paper size:

Letter

Thumbnail:

Usage advice:

I'm sorry for the wonky margins. OpenOffice Draw (and the consequent pdf that I make from it) is pushing the entire page to the right by one-quarter inch, and I cannot figure out why. So I'm just manually adjusting for it.

A mission statement.
Some phrases are taken out of the book "girlosophy" by Anthea Paul, I read when I was a high school-er, some ideas were taken out of "non violent communication" by Dr. Marshall B. Rosenberg. Some ideas were also taken out of "terapia del alma" by Graciela Peréz Martínez

The idea of writing out "my mission statement" was taken out of the very, well known book,
" 7 habits of success people" by Convey.

I of course tried to only write thing that I felt "personal" thing I thought I had to learn and remember

Paper size:

Classic (5.5 x 8.5)

Usage advice:

I fold a copy and it one a paste it on my planner, and I have another one stuck up on the inside of my closet.
-You need to see it every day, when you start your day, whenever you need a bit of direction, while planning, making decisions, you need some perspective on your "big picture".
It's so personal... whatever inspires you and makes you tick.

*Dear fellow D.I.Y user: Give feedback, if you want! :-)
I'm a complete newbie; I'm learning how this site works and criticism is by no means a problem.

This template is a one week per page to fit into a regular 3 hole binder. I thought I would share it if anyone was interested. You fill in the dates by hand. It is in Microsoft Word.

Paper size:

Letter and A4

Usage advice:

One week is listed per page in my planner. It has a section for dated activites, Big Rocks, a list of To Do's with started and completed areas and Notes.

It is set up to use similar to the Harvard System. I found the Harvard notebooks to be too complicated and the spaces too small for my usage. But the principle is the same. Under each date there are lines set up for each hour, and each hour is broken into 15 minute blocks. If you choose to do an action at a certain time, you list the number or letter of the action in the square under the date instead of entering the whole item on the line.

This is a template for the 24/7 Work-Life Planner in index card size. I have posted a similar template in Classic Size but shrunk this one so that it fits on two cards (1 card per day printing both sides). I've left a 3/8"+ margin for punches. (I use Circa). The margins are set on the bottom for the top half and the top for the bottom half.

Paper size:

Index Card (3 x 5)

Usage advice:

This template is 3-up and is designed for printing on a template package like Avery 5388 or you can print them on regular paper and cut them to size. 1.75 inches off the left and right margin and and inch off the top and bottom. From there, you can cut them in 3 inch lengths. Be sure to print both sides!

I had earlier posted a daily scheduler which was a bit whimsical and suited my taste at that point of time. However, increasingly, I have felt the need to have the same content in a slightly more structured format, and carried out some changes accordingly.
This still has to be printed on an A4 format, but no longer uses both sides of the sheet, but has been compressed into one side of the A4 sheet.

Paper size:

A4

Thumbnail:

Usage advice:

As usual, this daily planner is best combined with a weekly review system, when one or two weekly goals which will be concentrated on are identified. This daily planner will take 10 mins or so to fill up the night before or in the morning before starting the day.

My weekly review system is an involved process, so please let me know if anybody feels interested at all to have look at it, will post it then.

I had already posted my daily planner earlier and was hesitating to post my weekly planning system since it is rather detailed and time consuming. In any event, am posting it now in case it helps even one person other than me.
If you have a look at the flowchart which is attached first, it may aid in understanding the flow of the weekly review attachment.

Paper size:

Letter and A4

Thumbnail:

Usage advice:

The attachment itself contains the usage advice. I am posting two attachments, one with examples typed out for viewing, and the other is the same form without examples and ready for download if someone wishes. There is a bit of discrepancy between the two attachments as far as Table C is concerned, but that can be ignored since the blank form contains the final format.

This is a weekly planner that doubles as a bookmark for a journal or notebook. I carry a notebook around to keep track of ideas, thought processes, and other things I do at work. This bookmark planner allows me to keep track of my current page and provides a place to jot down To Do items or meeting reminders. The included PDF is much higher quality than the thumbnail.

Paper size:

Letter

Thumbnail:

Usage advice:

It's made to be printed on a letter sized sheet and folded into three equal sections. It has space to write To Do items or whatever else for each day of the work week (Monday-Friday). It can be re-folded and used 3 or 6 times depending on whether you print it front and back. It fits nicely in a 5 1/2 x 8 notebook.

[admin note: this leads to a site that wants you to register and pay for stuff]
This is a template for a pretty floral week at a glance planner page in 5.5 x 8.5 size in the colors of brown, burgundy and beige. It is made to be printed on 8.5 x 11 size paper and cut in half. It is called Delicous Moments b/c it is made from a freebie Scrapbooking kit called 'Delicious Moments' from www.digitalscrapbookplace.com

Come see all my designs at cutediyplanners.blogspot.com

Paper size:

Classic (5.5 x 8.5)

Thumbnail:

Usage advice:

This week at a glance has 6 columns across the spread, which can be used for whatever fits your needs. The first column on the left has space for things to do during the week, the 2nd column has space to write in the date of each day, and the rest is up to you.

Daily calendar pages for July and August 2010 with columns for "Priority To Do" and "Want to Do," as well as an "Appointments" column with times (my day starts at 4:45am so the first time row is 4am). There is a small area to write in Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, and a "Notes for Today" area to put things like "Hubby out of town" or "Jane's Birthday."

Paper size:

Letter

Thumbnail:

Usage advice:

I'm sorry for the wonky margins. OpenOffice Draw (and the consequent pdf that I make from it) is pushing the entire page to the right by one-quarter inch, and I cannot figure out why. So I'm just manually adjusting for it.

Someone posted a DIY version of the Levenger Multi-tasker planner for us. I took that template and modified it to include a menu planner and space for weekly tasks/notes and a task list. I included a line at the top for the daily weather because that usually plays a part in my planning.

Paper size:

Classic (5.5 x 8.5)

Usage advice:

I've left some of my personal weekly check off tasks, and modified the ones I didn't want to share. That whole section can be removed and replaced with more lines for notes. This is an old MS Word file, so it should be easy enough to modify, including putting actual times in the appointment section if you prefer. It uses a lot of tables, the print preview function will show which lines don't actually show up when printing.

It's a running project inventory with a place on the right for status updates and a check box on the left for completion.

Paper size:

Classic (5.5 x 8.5)

Thumbnail:

Usage advice:

It's a running project inventory based off the work of others on the DIY site. I haven't decided what the "Key" might be for the status fields, but I figured it'd be easier to work off of a running inventory for a while before re-consolidating on a new list. You could use letters or symbols to indicate that the project has stalled, is awaiting approval, etc... It's in classic size, 2-up format in PDF, staggered for front/back printing. Play with it when you print it. Anytime I print 2-up PDFs front/back, I screw it up once... well, twice probably... Also, if you're going to edit in Inkscape or something, it's in Papyrus font.

Syndicate

The D*I*Y Planner product, its name, and its associated designs are owned by Douglas Johnston. Other materials remain the property of their authors and are subject to whatever licenses under which they choose to release them.